Chapter 48 The Value of Wharf Holdings Shares in His Hands Exceeds One Hundred Million
In the following days, just as the market had widely anticipated, Wharf Holdings became the hottest focus in the Hong Kong stock market.
Its crazy trajectory far exceeded most people's expectations.
Lin Haoran's team, although closely monitoring every fluctuation in Wharf Holdings' price and trading volume,
did not rashly plunge into this intense battle.
The reason was simple: their current available funds were just over 10 million HKD—
a mere drop in the ocean compared to the capital frenzy surrounding Wharf Holdings.
They no longer had the qualifications to stir the waters in such a large-scale capital feast.
Thus, it was better to save their strength to continue acquiring Green Island Cement shares.
On Tuesday, the market enthusiasm reached an unprecedented high.
Wharf Holdings' share price shot up sharply from 40.8 HKD at opening, peaking at 56.9 HKD,
and finally closed firmly at 56.2 HKD, amid a frenzy that drove every shareholder mad.
On Wednesday, although the upward momentum slightly slowed, Wharf Holdings still surged, peaking at 61.2 HKD.
However, on Thursday, subtle changes appeared in market sentiment.
Some rational investors believed the price was already quite high and, fearing a future crash, chose to sell.
Thus, Wharf Holdings' stock price touched a high of 62.9 HKD before retreating,
closing at 60.3 HKD—suggesting that the market was gradually returning to reason.
This correction allowed both the Bao family and Jardine Matheson factions to seize the opportunity to acquire more shares.
By Friday, the market was once again ignited by rumors, and Wharf Holdings staged another violent surge.
The stock jumped from around 60 HKD to a new high,
even briefly breaking through the 72 HKD mark,
finally closing at 70.8 HKD—wrapping up a truly wild trading week.
Amid this whirlwind of stock market changes, Lin Haoran, though not directly participating,
stood as a keen observer.
He witnessed the thrilling drama of Wharf Holdings firsthand,
as well as the fierce capital battle between the Bao family and Jardine Matheson.
This commercial war's intensity gave Lin Haoran a deep appreciation of the market's volatility and the ruthless competition and strategic battles of the business world.
Watching the steadily rising stock price, Lin Haoran's mood grew increasingly joyful.
If he sold his holdings today, he could instantly cash out over 100 million HKD.
Considering that his total investment in Wharf Holdings was just around 40 million HKD,
he had already more than doubled his original capital—far exceeding his initial expectations.
On that final Friday of frenzy, Lin Haoran had briefly hesitated:
Should he sell all his Wharf Holdings shares and lock in this enormous profit?
After all, realizing such a huge gain would significantly strengthen his war chest against Li Jiacheng.
However, thinking deeper, he realized that even if he secured 100 million HKD,
he might still struggle to outmatch Li Jiacheng when buying Green Island Cement shares.
Li's team had far more abundant capital,
and without enough sell orders in the market, there would be little Lin Haoran could do—
even with money in hand.
Besides, if there were enough available shares,
he wouldn't fear Li Jiacheng.
He could simply throw in massive funds and buy up 51% of Green Island Cement.
No amount of cleverness on Li Jiacheng's part would matter then.
But reality was harsh:
Green Island Cement's sell orders in the market were limited.
Thus, Lin Haoran decided it was better to wait patiently,
selling Wharf Holdings shares at a peak later,
while simultaneously creating an opportunity to owe Bao Yugang a favor.
If he could get Bao Yugang to help dissuade Li Jiacheng from targeting Green Island Cement,
then Lin Haoran would have an easier time consolidating control.
Judging from the fierce battle between the Bao family and Jardine Matheson,
this war for Wharf Holdings' control would not be decided quickly.
Both sides were determined to acquire as many shares as possible,
meaning a long-term struggle was inevitable.
Given Wharf Holdings' highly fragmented shareholder structure and massive market cap,
it was extremely difficult for anyone to concentrate enough shares in a short time.
Thus, both sides would need patience, strategy, and long-term maneuvering.
Therefore, Lin Haoran wasn't worried about a sharp collapse in Wharf Holdings' price any time soon.
From the data he gathered, such a drop was virtually impossible in the short term.
Meanwhile, regarding Green Island Cement:
From Tuesday to Friday,
Lin Haoran observed that due to both sides' cautious absorption of shares,
the stock price had remained stable between 5 HKD and 5.2 HKD.
This stagnation meant that sell orders gradually decreased,
as there wasn't enough momentum to stimulate higher trading volumes.
For example, on Friday alone, the total trading volume barely reached 700,000 shares—
significantly lower than in previous periods.
Over these past four days,
Lin Haoran's team had worked tirelessly but only managed to buy 1.068 million shares of Green Island Cement,
at an average cost of 5.11 HKD per share.
If Li Jiacheng hadn't intervened,
they could have easily achieved this in less than two days.
Conversely, Lin Haoran estimated that Li Jiacheng's team had absorbed more than 1.5 million shares during the same period—
showcasing their strong financial and operational power.
Still, based on the current market situation,
it was impossible for Li Jiacheng to surpass Lin Haoran's holdings through market purchases alone in just a few months.
With fewer sell orders in circulation,
unless Li Jiacheng raised his bid prices significantly,
he simply couldn't buy enough.
Yet judging from Li Jiacheng's past behavior,
he usually refrained from exposing his hand until he had accumulated a critical mass of shares.
Thus, if Li Jiacheng maintained his usual cautious style,
Lin Haoran still had enough time.
The real danger would be if Li secretly acquired large blocks from existing shareholders—
a hidden shortcut to overtake Lin Haoran.
As of now, after combining recent operations with previous holdings,
Lin Haoran controlled 10.104 million shares of Green Island Cement.
This achievement not only validated his strategy and execution
but also officially pushed his stake beyond 20% of the company—
a major milestone worth celebrating.
At this point, if Lin Haoran announced his stake to Green Island Cement's board,
they would certainly invite him to join as a board member.
However, for now, Lin Haoran wasn't ready to go public.
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